Housing for return bends



Aug. 30, 1932. F, c, FANTZ 1,874,003

HOUSING FOR RETURN BENDS I Filed Jan. 13, 1932 VII/III" INVENTORRate-ante Aug. 30,, 11932 FRED C. FANTZ, OF WEBSTER GEQVES, MISSOURIHU'USING FOE BEIIDE Application filed January 18, 1932, Serial No,588,360,

My invention relates more particularly to that class of return bendswhich are designed for use in cracking stills for the refining of oil. v

g Practice has shown that the constructionwhich formerly prevailed, inwhich the tubes were rolled into returnpbends so that when one of themwas destroyed during the operation of the still, it was necessary to cut1o ofi the other in order to remove the defective 'tubehas beendisplaced by a loosely mounted tube such as is shown and described in myPatent No. 1,752,331.

' In the stills in which housings of this charactor are used, I thetubes are mounted in nests or banks in which the tubes are placed invery close juxtaposition with the result that there is very little spaceavailable for the housing which carries the return bend, connectingadjacent tubes, this fact must be taken into consideration whenmanufacturing a return bend for this type of still.

My present invention relates more specifically to housings for returnbends such,

26 for example, asis described in my copendmg application, Serial No.462,749, in which the housing is formed in two sections which are hingedor otherwise secured together; these sections are provided with arcuateflanges w adapted to engage shoulders which are on thetubes. Myinvention is not restricted to use in connection with a housing in whichis formed in two halves, but is equally useful when the housing isformed in two or four parts which may be secured together in anyconvenient manner.

In housings of this character it is necessary to move the arcuateflanges, which interlock with the shoulders on the tubes, from under theshoulders, before the housings and in turn the return bend, can beremoved, to permit either the removal of the tubes for the purpose ofinspection, replacement or forthe w insertion of a tube cleaner toremove the accumulation of coke deposited during the operation of thestill.

In some instances where the tubes are very closely spaced there is notsufficient room to move the section housing laterally far enough so thatthe corners on the inwardly extending arcu ateflanges, formed on thehousing sections, will clear the shoulders on the tubes.

My invention has for its object to provide a construction which, whenutilized in cannection with compound housings of the type described,will very materially. lessen the distance which it is necessary to movehousing sections in order for the arcuate flanges to clear the shoulderson the tubes, thereby so enabling the use of the return bend housings ona still in which the tubes have very close centers. Y

My means of accomplishing the foregoing objects may be more readilyunderstood by 05 having reference to the accompanying drawing, which ishereunto annexed and is a part of this specification, in Which- Fig. 1is a vertical sectional view through the center of the return bend andtubes one of the housing sections being shown in elevation;

Fig. 2 is a bottom view, the tubes being omitted;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view;

Fig. 4 is .a side elevation partly in section of a modified form of myimprovement; and

Fig. 5 is a cross section on the line 55 in Fig. 4. Similar referencenumerals refer to similar parts throughout theentire description.

In the drawin I have illustrated compound housings ormed with two andfour complementar parts. When in two parts they maybe ormed in halvesand when in 35 four parts there are one pair for each tube.

I have illustrated only fragmentary portions of the tubes as obviouslythey form no part of my invention.

As shown in the drawing the tubes 1 and 2 nular grooves 4, formed in thefaces 5, of the return bend 6.

The compound housing as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 comprisescomplementary housing sections 7 and 8 which are provided with upwardlyextending portions in which are mounted plates 9 carrying set screws 10,the

ends of which contact abutments 11 formed on the return-bend 6. Thelower portion of the housing sections are provided with inwardlyextending arcuate flanges 12 which arg adapted to engage the shoulders13 on the tu es.

If these flanges 12 extend 180 degrees it is necessary to move thehousing sections away from the tubes a very considerable distance beforethe corners of the flanges will clear the shoulders 13 on the tubes; Ihave found in practice that if I cut away the arcuate flanges 12 for asubstantial distance from the plane of the abutting edges of thecomplementary sections as shown in Fig. 2% numeral 24, that the amountof movement required to place the arcuate flanges in the position toclear the shoulders of the tubes is materially lessened and acorresponding lessening of thedistance between centers of tubes ispermitted.

In Figs. 4 and 5 I show the compound housing formed in four sections 14,15, 16 and 17 one pair for each' tube. I The sections are each providedwith extensions 18 which extend downwardly from the arcuate flanges 12and are arcuate in cross section and adapted to partially encircle thetubes 1 and 2.

The sections, where this form is employed, are secured together by meansof a pair of rings19 and 20 which'are fitted to the outside of theextensions 18 and which are preferably connected by a web 21. If desireda bolt 22 may be employed to hold the rings on the said extensions; orthe walls of the extensions 18 and the inner walls of the rings may betapered so that the rings will stay in place when they are forced ontothe tapered surface of the extensions. It will be obvious from theforegoing description, that although I have illustrated a specifictypeof housing, my invention is not limited thereto but is available for anytype of compound housing where there are arcuate flanges which engageshoulders on the still tubes.

Having described my invention what I regard as new and desire to secureby Letters (Patent, is:

1. In a refinery apparatus, a return bend, a pair of shouldered tubes incommunication with said bend, a compound housing for said pair ofshoulderedtubes in communication I with said bend, a compound housingforsaid bend comprising complementary sections, extensions on the. lowerpart of said housing sections which abut said tubes, arcuate flanges onsaid housing sections which terminate a substantial distance from theplane of the axes of said tubes, said flanges being adapted to engagethe shoulders on said tubes, detachable means mounted in said sectionsto draw the faces of the bend and the'ends ofthe tube into a tight jointand means to hold said sections together.

3. In a refinery apparatus, a return bend, a pair of shouldered tubes incommunication with said bend,.a compound housing for said bendcomprising complementary sections, extensions on the lower part of saidhousing sections which abut said tubes, arcuate flanges on said housingsections which terminate a substantial distance from the plane of theaxes of said tubes, said flanges being adapted to engage the shoulderson said tubes, detachable means mounted in said sections to draw thefaces of the bend and the ends of the tube into a tight joint and meansmounted on said extensions to hold said'sections together.

4. In a refinery apparatus, a return bend, a pair of shouldered tubes incommunication with said bend, a compound housing for said bendcomprising complementary sections, arcuate flanges on said housingsections which terminate a substantial distance from the plane of theaxes of said tubes, said flanges being adapted to engage the shoulderson said tubes, and detachable means mounted in said sections to draw thefaces of the bend and the ends ofthe tube into a tight joint.

5. In a refinery apparatus,,a return bend, a pair of shouldered tubes incommunication with said bend, a compound housing for said bendcomprising complementary sections, arcuate flanges on said housingsections which terminate a substantial distance from the lane of theaxes of said tubes,.said flanges eing adapted to erigage the shoulderson said tubes, and detachable means mounted in said sections to draw thefaces of the bend and the ends of the tube into a tight joint.

6. Ina refinery a paratus, a return bend,

substantial distance from the plane of the abutting edges of the housingsections, said flanges being adapted to engage the shoulders on saidtubes, and detachable means mounted in said sections to draw the facesof the bend and the ends. of the tube into a tight Ijloint.

7. a refinery apparatus, a compound housing for a return bend whichconnects a pair ofstill tubes, said housing comprising a. plurality ofsections, and inwardly extending arcuate flanges on said sections whichterminate a substantial distance from the axes of the still tubes.

' FRED G. FANTZO

